Cookie
Cookie is a children's novel written by prolific author Jacqueline Wilson, published in October 2008 by Doubleday. It is illustrated, as are most of her books, by Nick Sharratt. The book was released on 9 October 2008. Plot Despite her name, Beauty Cookson is a plain, timid girl who is called Ugly by other girls at school, especially a mean girl called Skye. Worse than the teasing in the playground, though, is the unpredictable criticism from her father. She is frequently berated for breaking any of his fussy house rules, as well as for her lack of looks, confidence and friends, even though she lives in a large house and attends a private school. Beauty adores rabbits, although her father forbids her to have pets. Her favourite television show is "Rabbit Hutch", a show for young children about a man and his pet rabbit. She has no friends at all at school. The only girl that is nice to her is Rhona, Skye's best friend. However, Rhona desperately wants to be friends with Beauty, which she reveals one day when Skye is at a dentist appointment. There is also another reasonably nice person at Beauty's school: Beauty's class teacher, Miss Woodhead. Finally, she is invited by Rhona to a birthday party she is holding. For the birthday party, Beauty's dad forces her to get corkscrew curls and Skye, Arabella and Emily (bullies) develop a new nickname for her: Ugly Corkscrew. Beauty tells her mum, Dilys "Dilly" Cookson (who is a beautiful young woman) about the teasing and her mum decides to learn how to bake cookies, even though she is an awful cook, in the hope that Beauty will be given a new nickname, Cookie (a play on her surname, Cookson). Gradually, both Beauty and her mum get the hang of making cookies and become wonderous at it. Beauty's birthday is approaching and she is dreading it, however her father appears to turn a new leaf and act like a real dad. Her dad organises tickets for the whole class to see a stage show called 'Birthday Bonanza', with a chauffeur driven limousine to escort them there. Beauty invites all the girls, including Skye, and decides to give out cookies at the end of the party. The birthday starts to become unbearable when, at the show, Beauty is too shy to go onstage (the show is to celebrate people's birthdays), and he shouts at her in the limousine as well as ruining her cookies. Despite her humiliation, Beauty is determined to be called Cookie. However, when Dilly and Beauty learn that her father let the rabbit Rhona gave Beauty for her birthday out of its cage (and killed by a fox), Dilly decides she has had enough of her husband, tells him she is separating from him and goes away in her car taking Beauty with her. First of all, they go to the first Mrs. Cookson (Avril) who is very nice. She lets them stay for the night until they decide to go on holiday. The holiday resort they choose is called Rabbit Cove, Beauty chooses it due to her craze over rabbits. They find themselves in an idyllic seaside resort run by a man named Mike, who takes Dilly on as a breakfast chef. Dilly decides to let her husband know where they are, despite Beauty's objections, but after he shouts at her and calls her a "useless aging dumb blonde" she terminates the call. He tracks them down, and yells at them in front of the customers at the cafe, even going as far as to accuse her of having an affair with Mike and punching him in the nose. This is the last straw, and Dilly firmly refuses to return home. Even though Dilly is living with Mike and they hint that they want to start dating, Dilly refuses for the time being, as she wants to be independent. He understands, as he is a kind calm, serene and understanding person. After summer, Beauty is sent to a new school where she makes friends, and she still keeps in touch with Rhona by writing letters. Beauty is asked to go on 'Watchbox', a talent show that Skye really wanted to be on, due to the rise in popularity of her mother's cookies. As a treat, the producers of Watchbox invite Sam and Lily, who tells Beauty that Lily is pregnant with her own baby rabbits, Sam decides to give Beauty (now nicknamed Cookie at her new school) her own baby rabbit. Category:Novels